Article supporting device for card tables, and the like



March 29, 1966 M. M. LANG 3,243,048

ARTICLE SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR CARD TABLES, AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I8 I 3l '25 74 25 2a INVENTOR Q WQ ATTORNEY March 29, 1966 M. M. LANG 3,243,048

ARTICLE SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR CARD TABLES, AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR; MAkIl/V M AA a United States Patent 3,243,048 ARTICLE SUPPQRTING DEVICE FOR CARD TABLES, AND THE LIKE Martin M. Lang, Newark, NJ. (350 Irvington Ave, Elizabeth, NJ. 07208) Filed Sept. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 394,462 15 Claims. (Cl. 211--74) This invention relates to article supporting devices for adaptable engagement with side and corner portions of tables, including card tables, and the like, for supporting articles in position at least partially protruding beyond the boundaries of such tables. More particularly, the invention relates to article supporting devices of the class described, having rigid means engaging the top surface, and independent resilient means engaging the under surface and peripheral edge of table structures in a manner to permit easy attachment and detachment with respect to a wide variety of collapsible card tables.

A great majority of homes are equipped with one or more collapsible, i.e. folding leg, tables which are generally referred to as card tables, but which, in addition to providing useful surfaces for the playing of card games, have unlimited other uses characteristic of tables generally. In the playing of card games, as well as in many other uses of such tables, it frequently happens that the table surface required for a card game, or other use, is such that there is little space remaining for convenient placement of ash trays, refreshments, and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide an easily attachable and detachable device which will provide support for articles, such as ash trays, refreshments, and the like, in a plane substantially in alignment with the table surface, but in a position to extend substantially beyond the boundaries of such surface at either a side or corner portion of the table.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article supporting device of the character described which is simple and inexpensive in construction, and which is adaptable for use with many diiferent types and kinds of collapsible tables regardless of the varied mechanisms employed in controlling the individual or collective folding and unfolding of the table legs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an article supporting device of the character described, wherein the table-top engaging portion provides means for interchangeably receiving and supporting a wide variety of plates, saucers, and similar round objects, and for alternatively supporting tray members of irregular contour.

These and other objects of the invention will be understood from a consideration of the following description taken together with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred adaptation of the invention in which the parts of the device are identified by suitable reference characters in the views, and in which:

FIG, 1 is a vertical side view of the device showing the movable parts thereof in full lines as detached, and in dotted lines as attached with respect to a table structure.

FIG. 2 is a plan View of the device as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a typical tray of irregular contour superimposed on the device as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view on the line 55 of FIG. 4. I

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a slightly modified construction; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the device as shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in the drawing, the new article supporting device in accordance with the present invention comprises a top member 10 having a table engaging end 11, and an outwardly protruding end 12 secured intermediate said 3,243,048 Patented Mar. 29, 1966 member to a pair of perpendicularly extending legs 13, 13' having the lower ends thereof fixedly secured to laterally spaced arms 14, 14' of a unitary spring member 15. Suitably, the legs 13, 13' are provided with offset ends 16, 16' fixedly secured, as by welding, soldering, cementing, or the like, to the spring member 15.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device has been oriented at the corner portion of a typical card table 17 having a top 18, a reinforced peripheral edge 19, and a leg 20 spaced inwardly of the reinforced edge 19, and intended to diagrammatically represent any type of fixed or foldable card table leg.

The spring member 15 has forwardly of the juncture with the leg ends 16, 16', upwardly extending loops 21, 21' of compound curvature continuing as convergent portions 22, 22' which extend between the legs 13, 13' and are joined in a downwardly extending loop 23. The portions 22, 22 of the spring member have a slight upward inclination in the direction of the joining loop 23, and are vertically spaced from the top member 10 a distance less than the height of the table top 18 and reinforced edge 19, so that engagement of the table edge requires downward flexure of the spring member through the loops 21, 2 1 to dispose the portions 22, 22 and connecting loop 23 in the dotted position shown in FIG. 1. The height of the reinforced table edge 19 may vary from table to table, and the desired tension in clamping a table edge can be obtained by flexing the loops 21, 21' to raise or lower the rest position of the inwardly extending portions 22, 22.

It will be noted that the spacing of the legs 13, 13' permits a table corner 17' to protrude therebetween, so that the device can assume a corner straddling orientation as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Inward movement of the device is normally limited by the engagement of the legs 13, 13' with the table edge, although with some table constructions, the loop 23 may bear against the table leg 20.

It will also be understood that the device may be mounted at the side, rather than the corner, of a table. The dotted line showing of the table in FIG. 3 indicates such an arrangement with the legs 13, 13' hearing against the table edge. With either the corner or the side mounting, the upward inclination of the portions 22,22 of the spring member, assures an upward bearing pressure in a vertical plane between the legs 13, 13' and the end 11 of the top member.

The spaced arms 14, 14' of the spring member extend rearwardly from the point of juncture with the leg ends 16, 16 in divergent downwardly extending loops which continue as elongated upwardly and rearwardly extending portions 25, 2S terminating in rounded bearing ends'26, 26'. The ends 26, '26 in the rest position of the device are disposed above the plane of the top member 10, and when mounted on a table assume, by reason of spring action in the loop portions 24, 24', the dotted line position shown in FIG. 1. The tensional engagement with the under side of the table top 18 thereby provided has the effect of adding downward pressure to the end 11 of the top member, so that a very substantial downward force must be applied at the outwardly protruding end 12 of the top member to displace the end 11 thereof from engagement with the table top.

Mounting of the device on a table is readily effected by grasping in one hand the loops 21, 21', or the end 12 of the top member, inclining the device so that the members 25, 25' are parallel to the table top, and passing them below the table top. They are spaced from the end 11 of the top member to readily receive most reinforced table edges. Then with a downward swinging movement of the hand holding the device, the end 11 of the top member and the bearing ends 26, 26' are brought into contact with the upper and lower surfaces res ectively of the table top. This is followed by a pushing movement (against the friction of the bearing ends 26, 26 on the under surface of the table top and the resilience of the loops 21, 21') to slide the portions 22, 22' under the table edge, the sliding being continued until the legs 13, 13' are in engagement with the table edge, or are properly straddling the table corner. Removal of the device involves the same steps in the .reverse order; and both attachment and removal of the device are smooth, easy manipulations which even a child can readily perform.

The divergent arrangement of the arms 14, 14', and the relatively wide spacing of the bearing ends 26, 26' serve the dual purpose of stabilizing the device against twisting forces that may be applied to the end portion 12 of the top member, and also permitting the straddling of various leg support mechanisms. The device has been applied to numerous different type card tables with both individually foldable and collectively foldable legs, and none has yet been found in which corner mounting cannot be easily effected. With some older type tables having angular corner braces, some lateral fiexure of the portions 25, 25' of the spring member 15 may be necessary to facilitate attachment or removal of the device, but this presents no problem.

The spring member 15 can be fashioned from various materials, such as synthetic plastic material having the desired strength and resilient properties, or formed metal having the desired spring properties. It has been found for example, that No. 12 to 14 round wire is suitable for use in the spring member 15 of the device, as shown in the drawing.

The top member in a simplified form of the device can comprise an openwork structure, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawing, wherein the legs 13, 13 and top member constitute a unitary formed body of plastic, wire, or the like. Thus for example, the top member and legs may be formed of a single piece of wire smoothly bent at the center to a large loop 27 forming the article supporting end 12 of the device. The loop 27 can be of any desired shape, but for purposes of illustration, has been shown as a circular arc of approximately 300. At the points 28, 28', the wire is sharply bent to form parallel portions 29, 29' of the table engaging end 11. The wire ends are then each given three right-angle bends to form elongated loops, as seen in FIG. 2, with the short ends 30, 31 and 30', 31' being parallel to each other and the inside long portions 32, 32 being parallel to the portions 29, 29' and in closely abutting relationship to each other. The short loop ends 31, 31 have slight downward offsets 33, 33', as seen in FIG. 3, to underlie and provide bearing support for the portions 29, 29' and continue as the downwardly extending legs 13, 13' and offset ends 16, 16' thereof. The inside long portions 32, 32 of the loops are preferably welded, cemented, or otherwise secured together, and if desired, the members 29, 29' and the offsets 33, 33' can be similarly secured together at their points of bearing contact.

When thus fashioning the top member 10 and legs 13, 13' from wire, it is preferable to use slightly heavier or stiffer wire than is used in the spring member 15, so that when clamped on a table, the top member 10 is quite rigid and resistant to substantial downward pressure at the end 12 thereof. In this connection, it will be noted that the extra support provided by the offsets 33, 33 under the members 29, 29' outwardly of the table edge, when the device is mounted on a corner, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, enhances the rigidity of the device, and substantially increases the amount of pressure which can be applied at the end 12 of the top member without raising the end 11 from its bearing engagement with the table.

If it is desired, however, to use the same type wire in the top member 10 and legs 13, 13 as is used in the spring member 15, then in order to counteract possible resilience in the wire loop 27 and to insure rigidity of the end 1 2,

the offset ends 16, 16 of the legs, can be extended along a generally convergent path 34, 34 continuing as vertical abutting members 35, 35' shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing, which terminate at, and are welded, cemented, or otherwise fixedly secured to the end 12 of the top member. Actually this reinforcement 34, 34-35, 35' so enhances the rigidity of the protruding end 12 of the device, that the top member 10, and the legs v13, 13', etc. which are integral therewith, can be fashioned from lighter weight wire than that used in the spring member 15.

The circular curved portion 27 of the top member is preferably about 4 /2 inches in diameter, so that it can receive and properly support a wide variety of round saucers, plates, bowls, ash trays, and the like. In fact, one of the distinct advantages of the device is that it can support so many types of service ware which might other wise be placed on a table, in an off-the-table position.

The versatility in use of the open frame construction as above described, is of distinct advantage, even though a small portion of table surface as engaged by the looped end '11 of the top member is not being gainfully used. To offset this, the top member can incorporate a tray 36 fixedly or detachably secured to the legs 13, 13 and frame parts associated therewith. Such a tray can have any desired shape or contour to support particular type objects.

For purpose of illustration, the tray 36 is shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing as of general utility providing a large recess or depression 37 overlying the dotted line showing of the table engaging end 11 of the device and two smaller recesses or depressions 38 overlying the dotted line showing of the protruding end '12 of the device.

With the type of tray shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing, the recesses 38 provide support for two glasses, While the recess 37 can receive nuts, candy, an ash tray, or the like. Thus, the tray 36 permits a single device mounted on a corner of a card table to service two persons sitting at adjacent sides of the table. While the tray 36 is somewhat larger than the wire frame top 10 previously described, it will be noted that the centers of the recesses 38 are inside the circular frame part 27 of the end 12 of the device, thus minimizing strain on the device when only one of the recesses 38 may be occupied by a beverage glass or the like.v

As previously mentioned, a tray 36 can be a preassembled and permanent part of the device. In such event, the tray 36 and legs 13,13 could be integrally molded of plastic, or metal legs could be anchored in a plastic tray. For greater versatility of use, however, the tray 36 may be detachably secured to the top member 10 of the open frame device previously described. This can be accomplished in various ways, as for example, by providing a plurality of spaced lugs 39 on the under side of the tray 36 having inner cam surfaces 40, as seen in FIG. 5, for snap engagement with the circular loop (27 of the end 12 of the top member. If three such lugs are placed one at the center of the loop 27 and two at the bends 28, 28' as shown in FIG. 4, accurate and stable attachment of the tray 36 is assured. In this connection, it will be noted that this positioning of the lugs 39 is outside the boundary of a table on which the device is mounted, the dotted lines 41 in FIG. 4 indicating the table edge when mounted on a side, and the dotted lines 42 indicating the table edge when mounted on a corner.

In the device as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawing,

it will be apparent that the offset ends 16, 16' of the legs 13, .13 can just as well be secured to inner surfaces, rather than outer surfaces of the arms 14, \14' of the spring element 15. In such event, the stiffening members 34, 35 and 34', 35' would fall inside the loops 21, 21' and would provide, in combination with the loops 21, 21' a support for cylindrical objects, such as drinking glasses, and the like. The spacing between the loops 21 and 21' is variable by reason of the resilience in the spring member 15, and if a wider spacing were desired, the loops 21, 21' could be made slightly divergent.

When fashioning the top member and spring member from wire, the assemblage can be plated, or otherwise coated, to provide any desired protective or decorative eifect. In FIG. 5, the wire member 27 is shown as carrying a coating 43 which is intended to be illustrative of any type coating on any of the wire parts. Indeed, the device can be a composite of metal and plastic by first fashioning the metal framework from wire or the like, and then dipping, spraying, fluidized bed coating, or otherwise applying a substantial overall covering of plastic or resinous material.

In the foregoing description, the device has been described particularly as associated with card tables having individually or collectively foldable corner legs. It is to be understood, however, that the device is adapted for use with any type of table characterized as having a relatively thin table top and depending peripheral edge reinforcements, including tables which might have round or irregular peripheral contour, and tables having center pedestals, or other means of elevated support as well as tablelike shelves mounted to protrude from walls and other structions.

Various changes and modifications in the article supporting device for detachable mounting on card tables, and the like, as herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the art, and to the extent that such changes or modifications are embraced by the appended claims, it is to be understood that they constitute part of the present invention.

I claim:

1. An article supporting device for detachable engagement with tables characterized as having relatively thin tops and downwardly extending peripheral reinforcing edges, said device comprising a top member having spaced perpendicular legs for bearing engagement against a table edge, said legs being disposed between a table top engaging portion and an article supporting portion protruding outwardly from an associated table edge, said legs extending downwardly from the top member a distance greater than the vertical dimension of most reinforced table edges and the lower ends of said legs being fixedly secured to a unitary spring element having means forming an upwardly extending loop beneath the article supporting portion of said top member and extending between said legs for resilient engagement with the under side of a table edge reinforcement, and said spring element further including divergent, downwardly bowed and upwardly extending arms providing resilient engagement with the under side of a table top at a substantially greater distance inwardly with respect to said legs than the innermost extension of the table top engaging portion of said top member.

2. An article supporting device as defined in claim 1, wherein the top member has tray forming means associated therewith in a manner to prevent inadvertent displacement therefrom, said tray forming means providing in the upper surface thereof a single article engaging recess at the table top engaging portion of said top member, and a plurality of article receiving recesses in the protruding portion of said top member.

3. An article supporting device as defined in claim 2, wherein the top member of said device is of wire frame construction and the under surface of said tray forming means carries a plurality of protruding lugs for detachable mounting on said wire frame.

4. An article supporting device as defined in claim 1, wherein the top member and legs comprise a preformed unitary part providing in the protruding portion of said top member a large and essentially round opening adapted to receive and support a wide variety of round dishes and receptacles.

5. An article supporting device as defined in claim 4, wherein said unitary part and said spring element are both fashioned from wire, with the wire of said unitary part being more rigid than the wire of said spring element.

6. An article supporting device as defined in claim 4, wherein said unitary part and spring element are both fashioned from wire, with the wire of said unitary part being no more rigid than the wire of said spring element, and supplemental means integral with said unitary part is provided for connecting the lower ends of said legs with the outwardly protruding extremity of said top member to thereby enhance the rigidity thereof.

7. An article supporting device as defined in claim 4, wherein said unitary part and spring element are both fashioned from wire, with the wire of said unitary part being no more rigid than the wire of said spring element, and supplemental means integral with said unitary part is provided for connecting the lower ends of said legs with the outwardly protruding extremity of said top mem ber to thereby enhance the rigidity thereof, said supplemental means including horizontal and vertical portions which, in conjunction with said upwardly extending loops of said spring element provide supporting means for vertically disposed cylindrical articles.

8. An article supporting device for detachable engagement with card tables and similar table structures characterized as having relatively thin table tops and depending peripheral edge reinforcements, said device comprising a top member having spaced downwardly extending legs providing vertical bearing engagement with table edges in both side and corner straddling orientation of the device, the downward extension of said legs being slightly greater than the normal maximum vertical dimension of a table top and its peripheral reinforcement, said legs joining the top member intermediate a table engaging portion and an article supporting portion of said top member, said table engaging portion extending to one side of the plane of said legs a distance substantially equal to the downward extension of said legs, and the article supporting portion extending a greater distance to the other side of the plane of said legs, a spring element having divergent arms fixedly secured to the lower ends of said legs and traversing the plane of said legs, the rearwardly extending divergent ends of said spring element being disposed in the rest position thereof at points above the plane of said top member, more widely spaced than said legs and at least twice as distant from the plane of said legs as the extension of the table engaging portion of the top member therefrom, and the forwardly extending portion of said spring member being upwardly and rearwardly looped to dispose an end portion between said legs and somewhat rearwardly of the plane of said legs and downwardly spaced from said top member a distance substantially less than the vertical dimension of an associated table top and edge reinforcement, whereby when the device is mounted on a table said last named end of the spring member holds the table engaging portion of the top member firmly adjacent the table top and the resilient engagement of the divergent ends of said spring member with the under side of the table top serves to preload the table engaging end of said top member to resist downward force applied to the article supporting portion of said top member.

9. An article supporting device as defined in claim 8, wherein the device is fashioned from wire parts, one wire part providing a large loop forming the article supporting end of said top member, a pair of elongated and generally rectangular juxtapositioned loops forming the table engaging portion of said top member and the spaced leg members integral with said last named loops, and a second wire part forming said spring element being secured to said first wire part at forwardly offset end portions of said legs.

10. An article supporting device as defined in claim 9, wherein substantially stiffer wire is employed in said first part than in said second part.

11. An article supporting device as defined in claim 9, wherein the wire employed in said first wire part is no 6 stiffer than the wire of said second part, and supplemental means is provided extending from the offset end portions of said legs to the forward extremity of the large loop of said first wire part, thereby enhancing the rigidity of the article supporting portion of said top member.

12. An article supporting device as defined in claim 9, wherein a tray member is associated with said first wire part having means to prevent inadvertent displacement therefrom, said tray member having an article receiving recess overlying the table engaging end of said top member and a pair of smaller circular article receiving recesses overlying the large loop of said first wire part, the centers of said last named recesses being inside the boundaries defined by said large loop.

13. An article supporting device as defined in claim 9, wherein a tray member is detachably secured to said top member by means of a plurality of downwardly protruding lugs providing yieldable locking engagement with said first wire part.

14. An article supporting device as defined in claim 12, wherein said tray member is detachably secured to said top member by means of three downwardly protruding References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,621,720 3/1927 Harper 248-2265 X 2,147,539 2/1929 Marchant 248226 X 2,260,774 10/1941 Dorsett 248226.5 X 2,601,571 6/1952 Sverkerson 21174 2,614,782 10/ 1952 Jackson 248-226 X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ARTICLE SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR DETACHABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH TABLES CHARACTERIZED AS HAVING RELATIVELY THIN TOPS AND DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PERIPHERAL REINFORCING EDGES, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A TOP MEMBER HAVING SPACED PERPENDICULAR LEGS FOR BEARING ENGAGEMENT AGAINST A TABLE EDGE, SAID LEGS BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN A TABLE TOP ENGAGING PORTION AND AN ARTICLE SUPPORTING PORTION PROTRUDING OUTWARDLY FROM AN ASSOCIATED TABLE EDGE, SAID LEGS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOP MEMBER A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE VERTICAL DIMENSION OF MOST REINFORCED TABLE EDGES AND THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID LEGS BEING FIXEDLY SECURED TO A UNITARY SPRING ELEMENT HAVING MEANS FORMING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING LOOP BENEATH THE ARTICLE SUPPORTING PORTION OF SAID TOP MEMBER AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID LEGS FOR RESILIENT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNDER SIDE OF A TABLE EDGE REINFORCEMENT, AND SAID SPRING ELEMENT FURTHER INCLUDING DIVERGENT, DOWNWARDLY BOWED AND UPWARDLY EXTENDING ARMS PROVIDING RESILIENT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNDER SIDE OF A TABLE TOP AT A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER DISTANCE INWARDLY WITH RESPECT TOSAID LEGS THAN THE INNERMOST EXTENSION OF THE TABLE TOP ENGAGING PORTION OF SAID TOP MEMBER. 